Climbing nut

Abstract

A climbing nut is generally trapezoidal and has planar upper and lower faces and paired adjacent faces that are convex and concave, respectively. Opposed faces of the nut are therefore convex and concave, respectively. The convex faces have lateral longitudinally extending leg segments that assist in triangulation and strengthen the nut. The geometry of the faces allows for greater placement options. The nut alternately has one or more asymmetric curved faces. The nut is milled from stock extrusion material.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. A climbing nut comprising: 
       a body having at least one bore extending therethrough between an upper face and an opposed lower face, said bore defining a longitudinal axis through the body, a first pair of opposed side faces and a second pair of opposed side faces, one face of each of said pairs defining a concave surface and the opposite face of each of said pairs defining a convex surface, said concave and convex surfaces defining longitudinal axes that extend in the same general direction as the longitudinal axis through the body; and  
       a looped cable extending through said at least one bore.  
     
     
       2. The climbing nut of claim  1  wherein said upper and opposed lower faces are coplanar. 
     
     
       3. The climbing nut of claim  2  wherein said upper face is larger than said lower face to define a body that is generally trapezoidal. 
     
     
       4. The climbing nut of claim  3  wherein said first opposed side faces converge from said upper face to said lower face to define tapered opposed faces. 
     
     
       5. The climbing nut of claim  4  wherein said first opposed side faces taper equiangularly from said upper face to said lower face. 
     
     
       6. The climbing nut of claim  3  wherein said second opposed side faces converge from said upper face to said lower face to define tapered opposed faces. 
     
     
       7. The climbing nut of claim  6  wherein said second opposed side faces taper equiangularly from said upper face to said lower face. 
     
     
       8. The climbing nut of claim  1  wherein in side elevation said body defines a trapezoid having straight sides. 
     
     
       9. The climbing nut of claim  1  wherein a cylindrical axis of said concave and convex surfaces is generally parallel to the axis through said nut. 
     
     
       10. The climbing nut of claim  1  wherein said concave surfaces have lateral side edges and at least one of said concave surfaces further comprises a concave section extending only partially across said face to define opposed leg sections extending along the lateral edges of said face. 
     
     
       11. The climbing nut of claim  10  wherein each of said concave surfaces comprises a concave section extending only partially across said faces to define opposed leg sections on adjacent faces, each of said opposed leg sections extending along the lateral edge of said faces. 
     
     
       12. The climbing nut of claim  1  wherein at least one of the convex surfaces defines a surface that is symmetrically curved about a longitudinal centerline extending along said surface. 
     
     
       13. The climbing nut of claim  1  wherein at least one of the convex surfaces defines a surface that is asymmetrically curved about a longitudinal centerline extending along said surface. 
     
     
       14. A climbing nut comprising: 
       a body comprising:  
       (a) an upper surface and an opposed lower surface that is smaller than said upper surface;  
       (b) a pair of bores extending between said upper and lower surfaces and defining an axis through said body;  
       (c) a first pair of opposed side faces, one face of said pair convex and the other face of said pair concave, each of said convex and concave faces defining a longitudinal axis, wherein said longitudinal axes are not transverse to said axis through said body and are generally parallel to said axis through said body;  
       (d) a second pair of opposed side faces, one face of said pair convex and the other face of said pair concave;  
       wherein in side elevation said body defines a trapezoid; and  
       a looped cable extending through said bores.  
     
     
       15. The climbing nut of claim  14  wherein said bores are parallel and define an axis through said body. 
     
     
       16. The climbing nut of claim  14  wherein at least one of the convex surfaces defines a surface that is symmetrically curved about a longitudinal centerline extending along said surface. 
     
     
       17. The climbing nut of claim  14  wherein at least one of the convex surfaces defines a surface that is asymmetrically curved about a longitudinal centerline extending along said surface. 
     
     
       18. The climbing nut of claim  14  wherein each of said concave faces defines opposed lateral side edges, and each of said concave faces further comprises planar legs extending along said lateral side edges. 
     
     
       19. A climbing nut comprising: 
       a body having at least one bore extending therethrough between an upper face and an opposed lower face, said bore defining an axis through the body, a first pair of opposed side faces and a second pair of opposed side faces that taper equiangularly from said upper face to said lower face, one face of each of said pairs defining a concave surface and the opposite face of each of said pairs defining a convex surface, said concave and convex surfaces defining cylindrical axes that extend in the same general direction as the axis through the body; and a looped cable extending through said at least one bore.  
     
     
       20. A climbing nut comprising: 
       a body having at least one bore extending therethrough between an upper face and an opposed lower face, said bore defining a longitudinal axis through the body, a first pair of opposed side faces and a second pair of opposed side faces, one face of each of said pairs defining a concave surface and the opposite face of each of said pairs defining a convex surface, said concave and convex surfaces defining cylindrical axes that extend in the same general direction as the longitudinal axis through the body;  
       a looped cable extending through said at least one bore, and  
       wherein a cylindrical axis of said concave and convex surfaces is generally parallel t the axis through said nut.  
     
     
       21. A climbing nut comprising: 
       a body having at least one bore extending therethrough between an upper face and an opposed lower face, said bore defining an axis through the body, a first pair of opposed side faces that taper equiangularly from said upper face to said lower face, and a second pair of opposed side faces that converge from said upper face to said lower face to define tapered opposed faces, one face of each of said pairs defining a concave surface and the opposite face of each of said pairs defining a convex surface, said concave and convex surfaces defining cylindrical axes that extend in the same general direction as the axis through the body; and  
       a looped cable extending through said at least one bore.